I was only able to get through high school math class by memorizing, but even I can do the mortality “word problem”. As we get older, so do most of our friends. Eventually we begin to have health issues and yes, die. The older we get the more friends die more frequently. (Maybe we should discuss the “two trains approaching each other at the same rate of speed” word problem. Even though I probably won’t get the answer right, it seems like

more fun talking about than us leaving the station.)

Death is increasingly part of our lives as we age, an immutable truth that we can only avoid and deny to some extent. Believing in reincarnation or an afterlife offers relief for some people, but we still will miss the laughter and footsteps of our loved ones.

The deepest tragedy is always the death of young people, and sudden loss can be devastating. But when we watch people suffer, whatever their age, acceptance is easier. Suffering allows the living to let their loved ones go more easily.

No one gets out of here alive. How we handle the demise of our friends, relatives, and other people we love is always difficult, but to see their departure as a release from their pain does make it easier.

But wait, there’s more! We lose so many things as we age: our abilities, our stamina, our patience. Those losses are no less real, and they also ask for their own awareness and acceptance.

Acceptance appears to be a frequent stop on this journey. It gives us a chance to settle into What Is and maybe even find another route or destination, an opportunity for grace. And it’s as close to driving the train as we’re going to get.